How to Make Chicken Stock

Method 1: Chicken Stock from Leftover Roasted Chicken Bones

1. Combine ingredients in a large pot:

   Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot. Add vegetables, like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer:

   Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer partially covered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off any foam that comes to the surface.
3. Concentrate the stock (optional):

   If making stock for future use, you may want to reduce the stock by simmering an hour or two longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.
4. Strain the stock:

   Remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon or spider ladle, and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve.

Method 2: Chicken Stock from Raw Chicken Backs, Wings, and/or Legs

1. Cook the chicken in a stock pot:

   Coat the bottom of a large (12 quart) stock pot with olive oil. Place half of the chicken pieces, skin side down in the bottom of the pot. Heat on medium high, and let cook until the the chicken is browned. Add the rest of the chicken pieces and cook, occasionally stirring until the chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add the aromatics and vegetables:

   Add the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, leek or green onions (if using), and bay leaf to the pot. Cover with 6 quarts of cold water.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer:

   Bring to a boil on high heat and reduce to a low simmer. If scum rises to the surface of the pot (this usually happens in the first half hour of cooking), skim off with a large metal spoon. Let simmer uncovered at a low simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

   Check every hour or so to be sure there is still enough water in the pot. if the water is evaporating too quickly, lower the heat, or add a bit more water.
4. Remove the solids:

   Use a large metal spoons with holes in it (or a "spider ladle") to ladle out the cooked chicken and vegetables. (These aren't really good to eat, by the way. After 4 hours of cooking, most of the flavor and nutrients have been cooked out of them and are now in the stock.) Discard.
5. Strain the stock:

   Use a large sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth or a dampened paper towel (or if using a very fine mesh sieve, no need to line), and place over a large bowl or another large pot. Pour the stock through the sieve into the bowl or pot to strain out any remaining solids.
6. Divide and store:

   Either pour into jars at this point, or if you want, what we like to do is to boil the stock on high heat for 1 hour, to reduce it by about half. This way you are storing concentrated stock, which takes less room in the freezer or refrigerator. When you are ready, pour into jars.

   If you are freezing, you may want to ladle off some of the excess fat on the surface. (The fat helps preserve the stock in the fridge, but doesn't help it in the freezer.) If freezing, leave at least 1-inch head space, allowing enough room for the liquid stock to expand as it freezes solid. (Otherwise, the expanding ice stock will break the jar.)

   Let the stock cool completely before refrigerating or freezing. Stock should last a week or so in the fridge, and several months in the freezer.

Method 3: Quick Chicken Stock

1. Sauté the onion:

   Heat 1 tablepsoon of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add one chopped onion. Sauté until softened and slightly colored - 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Cook the chicken and bring water to a boil:

   Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to the bowl with the onions. Sauté the rest of the chicken the same way. Return onion and chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.

   While the chicken pieces are cooking, fill a large tea kettle with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil.
3. Add water, bring to boil then reduce to a simmer:

   After the chicken pieces have been cooking for 20 minutes, raise the heat level to high, add the 2 quarts of boiling water, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 bay leaves. Return to a low simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then, cover and barely simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Strain stock:

   Strain stock through cheesecloth or paper towel-lined large sieve, and discard solids. (It helps to remove the big pieces of bone with a slotted spoon first.)

   Pour into jars and cool completely before refrigerating or freezing. Stock will last a week or so in the refrigerator or frozen for several months.

Did I say only 3 methods for making chicken stock? Here are a couple more!

Method 4: Use Chicken Feet

See How to Make Stock from Chicken Feet. If you have access to chicken feet, they make the most fabulous gelatinous stock.

I've seen a lot of cookbooks advocate the skimming of the fat from the stock. We prefer letting the fat settle in a layer on top of the stock as it cools. This way, the fat acts as a protective layer over the stock.

Bacteria need oxygen to grow, so by allowing the fat to rise to the top of the stock and settle we create a protective barrier between the stock and the oxygen in the air above. The stock will last a bit longer in the refrigerator if you keep the fat layer on it.

Just lift up the layer of fat and remove the stock when you want to use it. Every few days, bring the stock to a simmer for 10 minutes and let it cool, again with the fat forming a protective layer. Your stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks this way.